Zunow
Teikoku Kōgaku, later Zunow Kōgaku, was a Japanese optical company from 1930 to 1960. History Zunow was founded by Suzuki Sakuta (鈴木作太) as Teikoku Kōgaku Kenkyūjo (帝国光学研究所). Hagiya, p.11 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari, Hattori, p.154 of no.30. Most sources say that the company was founded in 1930, but at least one says 1940. 1930: Hagiya, p.11 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari, and various websites, maybe after Hagiya's article. 1940: Hattori, p.154 of no.30. Hagiya's article is based on interviews of key figures of the company, and is therefore reliable; however it gives the date of 1930 in one place only, and this could be a misprint. Year 1930 seems quite early for the apparition of a lens grinding subcontractor. Moreover, this would mean that the company survived as a minor subcontractor for eleven years before hiring Hamano and engaging in lens development, a period of time which seems abnormally long. It began as a lens grinding facility, working as a subcontractor for other companies, and also made military material before and during WWII. Hagiya, pp.11 and 13–4 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari. This included wide-aperture lenses designed by Hamano Michisaburō (浜野道三郎), a former lens designer of Nippon Kōgaku who entered the company in 1941. Hagiya, pp.13–4 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari. An f/1.2 lens was experimented in 1945 for X-ray photography, and another wide-aperture lens was perhaps made for infrared photography. The f/1.2 X-ray lens is mentioned as a 50mm lens in Hagiya, p.14 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari, whereas it is mentioned as a huge lens covering 6×6cm format in Hattori, p.154 of no.30. The infrared lens is only mentioned in the latter source. The factory was completely destroyed in the final months of the war, and no example of these lenses survived. Hagiya, pp.14–5 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari, Hattori, p.154 of no.30. The company was revived under the same name in 1948, to make wide aperture camera lenses. Hagiya, p.15 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari. The first prototypes were completed in 1950, and the company released the 50mm f/1.1 Zunow in 1953. Hagiya, p.15 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari, Hattori, p.154 of no.30. This was probably the fastest lens commercially available at the time. The brand Zunow (ズノー) possibly refers to the Japanese word zunō (頭脳), meaning "brain". In 1951, during the development of the 50mm f/1.1, the company made one or several prototypes of its first camera, called Teica. This was a Leica copy equipped with a Zunow 50/1.2, certainly an early version of the f/1.1 lens. In 1954 the company was incorporated as Teikoku Kōgaku Kōgyō K.K. (帝国光学工業 ). Hagiya, p.15 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari. In December 1956, it became Zunow Kōgaku Kōgyō K.K. (ズノー光学 , meaning Zunow Optical Industry Co., Ltd.), unifying the name of the company with the name of the lenses. Hattori, p.154 of no.30. It released other fast lenses for still and cine cameras, and also provided less expensive lenses for the fixed-lens cameras of other Japanese manufacturers (such as Neoca). In 1958, Zunow also introduced a very ambitiously designed 35mm SLR, simply marked "Zunow", whose development had started in 1956. Development started in 1956: Hagiya, pp.8–9 and 17 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari. It was the first 35mm SLR camera with auto diaphragm, instant-return mirror, and bayonet mount interchangeable lenses. Production and capital problems resulted in low production. In the meantime, the production of cine lenses had become the company's main source of income, making it increasingly dependent on the cine camera makers which were its main clients. The bankruptcy of Neoca in January 1960 and that of Arco at the end of the year precipitated the collapse of the company, which closed its doors on January 1st, 1961. Closed its doors on January 1st, 1961: Hagiya, p.30 of Sengo kokusan kamera jū monogatari. Arco bankruptcy: see the corresponding article. Two different bankruptcy dates are given in Lewis for both Arco and Zunow: December 1959 on p.104 and January 1961 on p.97. The same source says on p.104 that Neoca went bankrupt in January 1960. Cameras made by Zunow * Teica (prototype Leica copy) * Zunow (35mm SLR) * Zunow Z16 (16mm) Interchangeable lenses made by Zunow * Zunow lenses for rangefinder cameras: ** Leica screw mount ** Contax mount ** Nikon mount * Lenses for the Zunow 35mm SLR * Zunow 5cm f/1.9 for the Miranda T and TII Cameras with fixed lenses made by Zunow This section is incomplete. Zunow 6cm f/2.8 * Halma 44 and its Prinz 44 and Tower 44B name variants * Walz Automat 44 and M44 Zuminor 7.5cm f/3.5 (This lens was labeled Zunow but actually designed and perhaps also made by Ōfuna.) * Mine Six IIIS, IIISB Zunow 4.5cm f/1.8 * Neoca SV Deluxe * Auto Terra Super and Optika Auto 35 name variant * Auto Terra Super L Zunow 4.5cm f/2.8 * Neoca SV Super Notes Bibliography * Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). "Zunō kamera tanjō: Maboroshi no 35mm ichigan-refu" (ズノーカメラ誕生：幻の35mm一眼レフ, The birth of the Zunow camera: A phantom 35mm SLR). Chapter 1 of Originally published in . * Hattori Yutaka (服部豊). "Kokusan raika maunto renzu 2: Zunō hen" (国産ライカマウントレンズ2・ズノー編, Japanese Leica mount lenses 2: Zunow). Pp.154–5. * Links In English or with some English: * Zunow at Pacific Rim's Photographica pages * Zunow at Cameraquest * Zunow Collector website * Cameras with Zunow lens in Nekosan's website * Miranda 50mm lenses and Orion / Miranda T at mirandacamera.com, with pictures of the Zunow 50/1.9 in Miranda mount Category: Japanese lens makers Category: Japanese camera makers *